“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity”

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

Aug 30, 2024

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Vice President Kamala Harris has not yet detailed her energy policies as the Democratic presidential nominee. AP

LLAW’s NUCLEAR ISSUES & COMMENTS, Friday, (08/30/2024)

I hesitated to highlight this New York Post article concerning Trump and his so-called “Platform” on nuclear energy because it scares me half to death should he actually be elected. So I am relying on my absolute belief that Trump will go the way of the Dodo bird, losing by a landslide to Kamala Harris.

I have to laugh that right out of the box the headline says Trump says he will make electricity cheap, llolloll! He says he will do it by making electricity cheap with ‘hundreds of new power plants’ and modular nuclear reactors. That remark is pure insanity, and Trump will be long deceased before a single new plant ever comes online, and if ever happens the cost of electricity will continue to skyrocket because the price of uranium fuel alone will be just one of many mind-boggling expenses. As usual, Trump simply spouts noise and untruths every time he opens his mouth. I believe he is menace to the future of the world . . .

But I must say ‘all things nuclear’ have nothing to do with preventing global warming/climate change, and nuclear issues are nothing to be fibbing about nor playing political games with. Yet the deceitful promises of ‘clean’ energy, along with “threats” of nuclear war are delivered from the 9 nuclear armed countries to the media all around the globe every day, but it will only take one truth behind the lie to create nuclear war, aka World War III, which will end all wars — as well as virtually all life on a dying Mother Earth. ~llaw

Trump vows to make electricity cheap with ‘hundreds of new power plants’ and modular nuclear reactors

By

Steven Nelson and

Ryan King

Published Aug. 29, 2024

Updated Aug. 29, 2024, 6:42 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump touted plans Thursday to reduce electricity costs by quickly approving the construction of new power plants and spurring the deployment of small modular reactors for nuclear energy — saying it would unleash an economic boom.

Trump, 78, said that more electricity would tame inflation and meet the future energy needs of artificial intelligence.

“To achieve this rapid reduction in energy costs, I will declare a national emergency to allow us to dramatically increase energy production, generation and supply, which Comrade Kamala has destroyed,” the Republican presidential nominee said at a rally in Potterville, Mich.

“Starting on day one, I will approve new drilling, new pipelines, new refineries, new power plants, new reactors and we will slash the red tape. We will get the job done. We will create more electricity, also for these new industries that can only function with massive electricity.”

Former Interior Secretary David Bernhardt previewed the plans on a morning press call, saying, “In the future, every manufacturing plant, every data center, every semiconductor facility and assembly line will want to be built in America — because America will be the place where the cost of energy is lower than anywhere else on Earth.”

President Trump will address his energy policies during a Thursday afternoon visit to swing-state Pennsylvania, where he has frequently campaigned.Bonnie Cash/UPI/Shutterstock

The 45th president laid out his energy vision — including tapping domestic reserves of oil and gas and easing regulation of vehicle efficiency — in a swing-state area where cars are made while slamming Democratic nominee Kamala Harris’ record as vice president. 

“Between soaring demand and retiring coal, we are facing a great capacity shortfall of at least 30% by 2032,” Bernhardt said. “You should ask Harris [and Tim] Walz how they are going to make up for that shortfall under their net zero vision. I submit to you they can’t.”

One new aspect of the Trump energy plan is the boost to nuclear energy, which currently makes up 18.6% of US electricity production — far behind natural gas (43.1%), and only narrowly ahead of coal (16.2%) and wind (10.2%).

Billionaire-led nuclear boom

Small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) are not currently in commercial use in the United States and none are scheduled to open before 2030 — though advocates of the technology, including billionaire Bill Gates, whose company TerraPower is behind that inaugural facility in Wyoming, think they can reshape the industry.

The current timeline means that — at least as of now — no small modular reactors would be in commercial use until after a second Trump term, said Daniel Kammen, a professor of nuclear engineering at the University of California at Berkeley.

“Nuclear SMR proponents will say this is the brave, bright new wave for nuclear power and these private sector operators are going to essentially do for nuclear what they seem to have done for space launches,” Kammen said.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is working to open the first commercial small modular reactor for nuclear power.via REUTERS

Still, “the number of barriers in design to protect public safety that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission runs means even a massively pro-nuclear president would have a hugely difficult time stepping through those,” the prof said.

Advocates believe modular technology could pave the way to faster and cheaper deployment of nuclear power as an environmentally friendly alternative to high-emissions sources — and outgoing President Biden also has supported research into SMR use.

The major differences between conventional nuclear power plants and SMRs is the power-production capacity — with “small” facilities with cores roughly the size of an 18-wheeler truck generating less electricity.

“There are effectively SMRs operating around the world. Russia delivers nuclear-powered icebreakers to its Arctic cities and then they take the power directly off of that boat. We have nuclear aircraft carriers,” Kammen said.

“If someone really cut away legislation and regulation, you certainly could” deploy them commercially, he added — warning, however, that nuclear technology comes with significant potential risks including human operator-caused disasters.

“The technology of this size has existed for decades,” Kammen said. “These are just machines that are tailored for commercial use.”

Smaller-scale reactors would in theory allow for greater adoption — as has been the case with solar energy, which has grown to produce 3.9% of US electricity thanks in part to increased affordability of solar panels associated with higher production volume, Kammen said.

Steve Milloy, a senior fellow at the Energy & Environment Institute who previously served on Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) transition team, said the 45th president seems to be putting “more emphasis now on nuclear” than during his term of office.

“More work is going to be needed than just that [with] the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. He’s also going to have to change how EPA regulates radiation exposures. So I think all that stuff is doable,” he told The Post.

Milloy posited that Republicans have warmed up to nuclear power because it could help counter Democrats on the issue of climate change.

“They want to dodge talking about climate, which I think is ridiculous,” he said. “I mean, they should beat Harris-Walz over the head with climate, especially in Pennsylvania. So they talk about energy solutions [instead],” he said.

Reversing green policies

The former president’s campaign also restated a raft of familiar pro-fossil fuel policies — including easing domestic production of oil, natural gas and coal while trashing policies intended to phase out vehicles that use gasoline and diesel fuel.

Milloy contended that one of Trump’s most significant energy proposals is his mantra of “drill baby, drill,” which he argued would “unleash the US oil and gas industry.” He also cautioned that Trump could run into roadblocks with the EPA.

“EPA is famous for its resistance that developed during the Trump administration — the first one. Those guys slow up things, sabotage them, and Trump’s going to have to appoint strong agency leaders that understand the resistance, and know how to combat the resistance,” he said.

Under the Harris-Biden administration, the federal government imposed a moratorium on new oil and gas leases on federal land, axed construction of the KeyStone XL oil pipeline from Canada and forbade drilling in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Trump had criticized Harris’ past support for a fracking ban.

Harris, 59, has not laid out her energy policies in detail but previously supported bans on fracking and a complete phase-out of new gas-powered cars by 2035. Her aides have distanced her from both of those pledges, though the veep has yet to do so herself.

Trump has vowed to claw back at least some of the $369 billion in environmental funding included in Biden’s 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which Republicans argue has contributed to inflation — which has surged 20% since Biden took office in January 2021.

“Energy isn’t part of the economy, it’s the heart of the economy, and if the energy costs increase, everything increases,” American Energy Institute CEO Jason Isaac told The Post.

Democrats have defended themselves from blame over energy prices by pointing out that domestic crude oil production hit an all-time high last year.

“Go back and look at [Energy Information Administration] projections well before the Biden administration took office,” Bernhardt said in pushing back. “What you would see is that the projections far exceeded today’s current production. And so, while production has increased, the reality is that’s actually below what would have occurred under the policies of President Trump.

“So they can take credit for missing the mark.”

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ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:

There are 7 categories, with the latest addition, (#7) being a Friday weekly roundup of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) global nuclear news stories. Also included is a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives. The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War
5. Nuclear War Threats
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There are no Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in this evening’s Post.)
7. IAEA Weekly News (Friday’s only)

Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS, Friday, (08/30/2024)

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

Nuclear Power in the Modern Age – Yahoo Finance

Yahoo Finance

In this podcast, Motley Fool host Ricky Mulvey caught up with Oklo CEO Jake DeWitte for a conversation about: … To catch full episodes of all The …

Nuclear Power in the Modern Age – AOL.com

AOL.com

All things we’ve done, all of which helped radically change how much it costs to take new technologies to market in a very favorable way and …

U.N. Agency Issues Fresh Warning Over Iranian Nuclear Activities – WSJ

The Wall Street Journal

… Things with Kim Strassel · Potomac Watch Podcast · Foreign Edition … all-out regional war. Iran has massively expanded its nuclear program …

Nuclear Power

NEWS

Switzerland moves to remove ban on new reactors – World Nuclear News

World Nuclear News

… nuclear power plants, which has been in place since 1 January 2018. It said all clean energy sources will be needed to meet expected electricity …

Update 247 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

International Atomic Energy Agency

… Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), where nuclear safety and security remains precarious. It will be the fifth time that the Director General crosses the …

New Swiss nuclear dawn seen decades away at best | Reuters

Reuters

… nuclear power plant KKW Leibstadt behind the hydropower plant Eglisau in Rheinsfelden,. Steam rises from the cooling tower of the nuclear power plant …

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

Cooper Nuclear Station implementing new notification system – MSC News

MSC News

(KLZA)–The Nebraska Public Power District’s Cooper Nuclear Station will soon be implementing the use of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s …

Two nuclear power plant units were disconnected during Russia’s August 26 attack, Ukraine …

Euromaidan Press

… emergency power outages. According to the communication, Russia launched a massive missile and drone attack on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure …

Trump vows to make electricity cheap with ‘hundreds of new power plants‘ and modular … – NY Post

NY Post

Trump vows to make electricity cheap with ‘hundreds of new power plants’ and modular nuclear reactors … emergency to allow us to dramatically …

Nuclear War

NEWS

Kim Jong Un Prepares For “Nuclear War” Over Massive US Troop Deployment – YouTube

YouTube

Kim Jong Un Prepares For “Nuclear War” Over Massive US Troop Deployment | From The Frontline The United States and South Korea held massive …

Grossi to visit Zaporizhzhia, warns security situation remains ‘extremely challenging’

World Nuclear News

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi is to visit the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant for a fifth time, …

The only threat to Europe’s nuclear security is russian aggression against our country

Кабінет Міністрів України

This week, russia, which systematically violates the norms of international humanitarian law and nuclear safety and security regulations, …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

Russia Stays Unfazed by U.S. Nuclear Threats: Intelligence Chief – Sri Lanka Guardian

Sri Lanka Guardian

Russia Stays Unfazed by U.S. Nuclear Threats: Intelligence Chief. The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration announced earlier in May that …

The only threat to Europe’s nuclear security is russian aggression against our country

Кабінет Міністрів України

… war, but also to fundamental principles of the safety of nuclear facilities. … In order to avoid risks and threats to nuclear safety, it is necessary …

Kursk Nuclear Power Plant: The Newest Target for Russian Disinformation – RUSI

RUSI

… attack would not meaningfully threaten Russian energy production. Gorchakov notes that, outside of the Kursk Oblast, any Russian loss of energy …

IAEA Weekly News

30 August 2024

Read the top news and updates published on IAEA.org this week.

30 August 2024

Climate-Smart Agriculture Enables Asian Farmers to Increase Rice Productivity

Farmers in six Asian countries have used nuclear derived climate-smart agricultural practices and significantly increased their rice yields with the help of the IAEA and the FAO.  Read more →

29 August 2024

Update 247 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi will next week travel to Ukraine to hold high-level talks and assess developments at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), where nuclear safety and security remains precarious. Read more →

28 August 2024

Understanding Human Calorie Needs: IAEA Supports FAO and WHO

For the first time the IAEA is to help United Nations nutrition experts reevaluate human energy requirements: a key input for assessing global hunger that was last evaluated in 2001. Read more →

27 August 2024

Mozambique is Prioritizing Cancers Affecting Women and Children

The sub-Saharan African country of Mozambique is currently experiencing a high burden of infectious disease coupled with a growing burden of non-communicable diseases including cancer. Read more →

26 August 2024

IAEA Director General Statement on Kursk Nuclear Power Plant

Given the serious situation, I am personally leading the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission to the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) in the Russian Federation. The safety and security of all nuclear power plants is of central and fundamental concern to the IAEA. Read more →

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity”

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

Aug 29, 2024

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LLAW’s NUCLEAR ISSUES & COMMENTS, Thursday, (08/29/2024)

Today is a day of infamy concerning “All Things Nuclear”, thankfully and thoughtfully forwarded to me by my dear friend and occasional advisor, Michelle UluOla. “International Day Against Nuclear Tests” harks back to the very beginning, but especially following the US bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan that seemed only to whet the appetites of developing even more powerful weapons of mass destruction, and is an annual vivid reminder that ‘all things nuclear’ must be eliminated from any and all forms of use, including nuclear power plants, in order for humanity to survive.

As I mentioned to Michele, what we have done relevant to our years of nuclear testing has created a hideous travesty of an unfinished monster story that went something like this, excluding the Manhattan Project details and the bombing of Japan:

”What we did to the Marshall Islands over the years as well as southeast Nevada and western Utah with nuclear testing is a crime against nature as well as humanity. The general public has no idea what has gone on and still goes on in the entire nuclear industry, from the birth of the the Manhattan Project right up until today and tomorrow.

”We are clearly seeing now that nuclear power plants are rapidly becoming the spoils of war in order to be used as Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) to essentially double the threats and control the masses with airborne nuclear radiation. The Russian/Ukraine war has clearly demonstrated that probability. We, as a people, are now the potential victims everywhere of nuclear genocide along with innocent other life forms. The ugliest story ever told is just beginning “. . .
~llaw

International Day Against Nuclear Tests

Thu Aug 29th, 2024

Quick facts When is it? Every August 29thTagged as:

• Government & Legal
• Historical Interest
• Safety

What’s the hashtag? #InternationalDayAgainstNuclearTests We first published this page on: Aug 18th, 2024. We last updated this page: Aug 18th, 2024

Have we missed something?

The International Day against Nuclear Tests is a powerful reminder of the urgent need to eliminate nuclear testing worldwide. This observance indicates the devastating effects of nuclear explosions on people and the environment.

It is a call to action for global leaders and citizens alike to work toward a world free from the threat of nuclear devastation.

By focusing on the dangers and long-term consequences of nuclear tests, the day encourages a united effort to ensure that such testing never occurs again.

Reasons for Celebrating International Day Against Nuclear Tests

The day is celebrated to highlight the catastrophic impact of nuclear tests on human health and the environment.

More than 2,000 nuclear tests have caused severe suffering, contaminating air, water, and soil and leading to long-term health issues for those near test sites.

The day also aims to promote global peace and security by advocating for the enforcement of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). By commemorating this day, the international community hopes to strengthen the global commitment to a future without nuclear weapons.

History of International Day Against Nuclear Tests

The International Day against Nuclear Tests raises awareness about the severe consequences of nuclear testing and promotes global efforts to ban such practices. This observance started in 2009 after Kazakhstan proposed a resolution to the United Nations General Assembly.

Kazakhstan’s tragic experience with nuclear testing, particularly at the Semipalatinsk Test Site, motivated this action. The Semipalatinsk site, one of the largest nuclear test sites in the world, was used by the Soviet Union to conduct over 450 nuclear tests, causing widespread environmental and health damage.

The resolution, known as 64/35, was adopted unanimously by the General Assembly, and the first observance of the day took place in 2010. The chosen date, August 29, commemorates the closure of the Semipalatinsk site in 1991, a significant step toward ending nuclear testing.

Since its beginnings, the day has served as a platform for advocating the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which seeks to ban all nuclear explosions globally.

Each year, various activities, such as conferences, educational events, and public discussions, highlight the ongoing risks of nuclear testing and to push for a future free of nuclear weapons​.

How to Celebrate International Day Against Nuclear Tests

Host a Nuclear-Free Movie Night

Celebrate the day with a movie marathon featuring films and documentaries about the dangers of nuclear weapons. Invite friends, pop some popcorn, and discuss how these films highlight the importance of a nuclear-free world.

Mixing education with entertainment makes for a memorable and meaningful evening.

Organize a Creative Protest

Why not channel your inner artist? Gather some friends, grab some paint, and create posters or murals that express your anti-nuclear message.

Hang them in your neighborhood or share them online. It’s a colorful way to spread awareness and make your voice heard without saying a word.

Write a Letter to Your Leader

Got something to say? Write a letter to a government official or local representative urging them to support nuclear disarmament. It might feel old-school, but it’s a powerful way to show that you care about this critical issue.

Plus, who doesn’t love a good, heartfelt letter?

Host a Themed Quiz Night

Everyone loves a good quiz night! Create a trivia game with questions about nuclear testing, disarmament efforts, and peace treaties.

Invite friends and family over or host it online. You’ll be surprised at how much everyone learns while having a blast!

Share on Social Media

Give your thumbs a workout by posting about the day on social media. Share facts, stories, or your own thoughts on why ending nuclear tests is crucial.

Use hashtags like #EndNuclearTesting and #PeaceNotWeapons to join the global conversation and reach more people.

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ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:

There are 7 categories, with the latest addition, (#7) being a Friday weekly roundup of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) global nuclear news stories. Also included is a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives. The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War
5. Nuclear War Threats
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There are no Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in this evening’s Post.)
7. IAEA Weekly News (Friday’s only)

Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS, Thursday, (08/29/2024)

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

All about INS Arighat: India’s second nuclear submarine | WION – YouTube

YouTube

The Indian Navy is likely to commission its second nuclear submarine INS Arighat on Thursday (August 29). This addition will support the existing …

Decker Eveleth: Scrutinizing North Korea’s nuclear missiles from the sky | NK News

NK News

… About · Contact · Opportunities · FAQ · Mobile Apps · Privacy Policy · Terms & Conditions · T&C. © 2024, Korea Risk Group (NK Consulting Inc.). All …

Francis Tiafoe, Ben Shelton set up rematch at U.S. Open – The Portland Press Herald

The Portland Press Herald

“I mean, winning Wimbledon is amazing. It’s a great, great, great result, I’m very proud about it and how I was able to handle everything there,” said …

Nuclear Power

NEWS

Russia says UN watchdog must be ‘more objective’ after trip to nuclear plant near fighting

Reuters

Russia said on Wednesday it wanted the International Atomic Energy Agency to take a “more objective and clearer” stance on nuclear safety, …

5 Workforce Trends in Nuclear Energy

Department of Energy

Clean energy is booming, according to the 2024 U.S. Energy & Employment Report. Here are five ways nuclear energy was part of that trend in 2023.

U.S. and Ghana Nuclear Firms Sign Landmark Commercial Agreement for Small Modular …

State Department

At the U.S.-Africa Nuclear Energy Summit in Nairobi, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins, …

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

Voices of Vogtle: Four oral histories – Grist.org

Grist.org

… Power’s Plant Vogtle, the largest nuclear power plant in the U.S. … Nuclear Regulatory Commission also has emergency information for the plant.

Schedules don’t work: Ukrenergo announces emergency blackouts in 11 regions of Ukraine

unn.ua

During the Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine on August 26 , four power units of the nuclear power plant were temporarily disconnected from …

What’s special about INS Arighat—India’s second nuclear–powered submarine commissioned today

NewsBytes

… emergency power and mobility. It can carry up to four nuclear-capable -4 SLBMs (Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles) with a range exceeding …

Nuclear War

NEWS

Russia war ‘dramatically increases’ chance of nuclear power disaster – Ukrainian Historian

YouTube

Ukrainian historian Serhii Plokhy talks to us about the threat of nuclear accidents, and how Russia’s war with Ukraine has increased the chances …

Ukraine war latest: Extra security at ‘extremely exposed’ nuclear plant – as Moscow takes …

Sky News

Russian officials are stepping up security measures at a nuclear plant in Kursk, where Ukrainian forces have seized la

UN official highlights growing toll of Ukraine war, rising threat of ‘nuclear incident’ | UN News

UN News – the United Nations

UN official highlights growing toll of Ukraine war, rising threat of ‘nuclear incident’. The aftermath of a missile strike in the Ukrainian capital …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

The US presidential candidates are not confronting the nuclear threat that haunts the world

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

… Nuclear War (IPPNW). Either an American or a Russian delegate, it didn … nuclear danger—while at the same time making periodic nuclear threats.

Column: Why is the U.S. fighting nuclear threats behind closed doors? – Yakima Herald

Yakima Herald

Column: Why is the U.S. fighting nuclear threats behind closed doors? … Joe Biden also used to speak regularly and urgently about the dangers of …

Why the World Must Reject New Nuclear Tests

The Nuclear Threat Initiative

Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on nuclear and biological threats. Sign Up · The Nuclear Threat Initiative. Build a Brighter Future.

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity”

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

Aug 28, 2024

Share

LLAW’s NUCLEAR ISSUES & COMMENTS, Wednesday, (08/28/2024)

It is not governmental abuse and interference (other than potential military control demands and practices) with AI that I fear; it is the use of AI by the greedy money-worshipping corporations who will use (and already have) AI in negative ways, especially Social Media, that will eventually use AI against free speech and freedom of choice by unabated one-sided control or humanitarian methods of consideration of their social beliefs, ambitions, and their so-called “Standards” that require their users to absolutely dictatorially obey without due consideration of any kind of human emotions such as empathy, tolerance, understanding, and weighing judicially the decisions that are made while using social media, unfortunately ignoring an emerging source of the possibility for a world of peace, cooperation and unification rather than our present world of war, hatred and division.

I am personally already feeling the intolerance and misunderstandings over an ongoing ‘absolute battle’ with Facebook’s AI that is accusing me of such such things as “SPAM, Cyber Security Violations, and other nefarious violations of Facebook’s “Community Standards”, (of course I have heard many horror stories from other users about being thrown in Facebook jail over the years) for the very humanitarian ‘all things nuclear’ information (all derived from the public media with, generally, one single evaluation of a single article each day).

My daily message carefully, sensibly, and honestly promotes the absolute danger and potential annihilation of human and other life on planet Earth. But AI’s Facebook police, evidently entirely unconsidered by human interpretation or review of my “All Things Nuclear” blog, with a daily roundup of the most important nuclear news posts, that appear on my Facebook page with two of the links to other platforms that are automatically posted to Substack, Email, Linked In, and, yes, X (formerly Twitter), and others waiting in the wings until I am able to include them. So far Facebook has deleted 9 of my previous 735 posts; but I have found ways to post them to Facebook anyway by different posting methods than Facebook uses. And, as AI expands, I have also had a lot of disturbing situations with Windows 10 updates from Microsoft that are totally controlled by AI. One of them is still unresolved after 3 years of trying . . . ~llaw (Read on; the following article is important to our future.)

California’s Draft AI Law Would Protect More than Just People

7 minute read

Ideas

By Dan Hendrycks

August 27, 2024 4:19 PM EDT

Hendrycks is the director of the Center for AI Safety

Few places in the world have more to gain from a flourishing AI industry than California. Few also have more to lose if the public’s trust in the industry were suddenly shattered.

In May, the California Senate passed SB 1047, a piece of AI safety legislation, in a vote of 32 to one, helping ensure the safe development of large-scale AI systems through clear, predictable, common-sense safety standards. The bill is now slated for a state assembly vote this week and, if signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom, would represent a significant step in protecting California citizens and the state’s burgeoning AI industry from malicious use.

Late Monday, Elon Musk shocked many by announcing his support for the bill in a post on X. “This is a tough call and will make some people upset, but, all things considered, I think California should probably pass the SB 1047 AI safety bill,” he wrote. “For over 20 years, I have been an advocate for AI regulation, just as we regulate any product/technology that is a potential risk to the public.”

The post came days after I spoke with Musk about SB 1047. Unlike other corporate leaders who often waver, consulting their PR teams and lawyers before taking a stance on safety legislation, Musk was different. After I outlined the importance of the bill, he requested to review its text to ensure its fairness and lack of potential for abuse. The next day he came out in support. This quick decision-making process is a testament to Musk’s long-standing advocacy for responsible AI regulation.

Last winter, Senator Scott Weiner, the bill’s creator, reached out to the Center for AI Safety (CAIS) Action Fund for technical suggestions and cosponsorship. As CAIS’s founder, my commitment to transformative technologies impacting public safety is our mission’s cornerstone. To preserve innovation, we must anticipate potential pitfalls, because an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Recognizing SB 1047’s groundbreaking nature, we were thrilled to help and have advocated for its adoption ever since.

Read More: Exclusive: California Bill Proposes Regulating AI at State Level

Targeted at the most advanced AI models, it will require large companies to test for hazards, implement safeguards, ensure shutdown capabilities, protect whistleblowers, and manage risks. These measures aim to prevent cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, bioengineering of viruses, or other malicious activities with the potential to cause widespread destruction and mass casualties

Anthropic recently warned that AI risks could emerge in “as little as 1-3 years,” disputing critics who view safety concerns as imaginary. Of course, if these risks are indeed fictitious, developers shouldn’t fear liability. Moreover, developers have pledged to tackle these issues, aligning with President Joe Biden’s recent executive order, reaffirmed at the 2024 AI Seoul Summit.

Enforcement is lean by design, allowing California’s Attorney General to act only in extreme cases. There are no licensing requirements for new models, nor does it punish honest mistakes or criminalize open sourcing—the practice of making software source code freely available. It wasn’t drafted by Big Tech or those focused on distant future scenarios. The bill aims to prevent frontier labs from neglecting caution and critical safeguards in their rush to release the most capable models.

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Like most AI safety researchers, I am in large part driven by a belief in its immense potential to benefit society, and deeply concerned about preserving that potential. As a global leader in AI, California is too. This shared concern is why state politicians and AI safety researchers are enthusiastic about SB 1047, as history tells us that a major disaster, like the nuclear one at Three Mile Island on March 28, 1979, could set a burgeoning industry back decades.

Regulatory bodies responded to the partial nuclear meltdown by overhauling nuclear safety standards and protocols. These changes increased the operational costs and complexity of running nuclear plants, as operators invested in new safety systems and complied with rigorous oversight. The regulatory challenges made nuclear energy less appealing, halting its expansion over the next 30 years.

Three Mile Island led to a greater dependence on coal, oil, and natural gas. It is often argued that this was a significant lost opportunity to advance toward a more sustainable and efficient global energy infrastructure. While it remains uncertain whether stricter regulations could have averted the incident, it is clear that a single event can profoundly impact public perception, stifling the long-term potential of an entire industry.

Some people will view any government action on industry with suspicion, considering it inherently detrimental to business, innovation, and a state or country’s competitive edge. Three Mile Island demonstrates this perspective is short-sighted, as measures to reduce the chances of a disaster are often in the long-term interest of emerging industries. It is also not the only cautionary tale for the AI industry.

When social media platforms first emerged, they were largely met with enthusiasm and optimism. A 2010 Pew Research Center survey found that 67% of American adults who used social media believed it had a mostly positive impact. Futurist Brian Solis captured this ethos when he proclaimed, “Social media is the new way to communicate, the new way to build relationships, the new way to build businesses, and the new way to build a better world.”

He was three-fourths correct.

Driven by concerns over privacy breaches, misinformation, and mental health impacts, public perception of social media has flipped, with 64% of Americans viewing it negatively. Scandals like Cambridge Analytica eroded trust, while fake news and polarizing content highlighted social media’s role in societal division. A Royal Society for Public Health study showed 70% of young people experienced cyberbullying, with 91% of 16-24-year-olds stating social media harms their mental wellbeing. Users and policymakers around the globe are increasingly vocal about needing stricter regulations and greater accountability from social media companies.

This did not happen because social media companies are uniquely evil. Like other emerging industries, the early days were a “wild west” where companies rushed to dominate a burgeoning market and government regulation was lacking. Platforms with addictive, often harmful content thrived, and we are now all paying the price. The companies—increasingly mistrusted by consumers and in the crosshairs of regulators, legislators, and courts—included.

The optimism surrounding social media wasn’t misplaced. The technology did have the potential to break down geographical barriers and foster a sense of global community, democratize information, and facilitate positive social movements. As the author Erik Qualman warned, “We don’t have a choice on whether we do social media, the question is how well we do it.”

The lost potential of social media and nuclear energy was tragic, but it’s nothing compared to squandering AI’s potential. Smart legislation like SB 1047 is our best tool for preventing this while protecting innovation and competition.

The history of technological regulation showcases our capacity for foresight and adaptability. When railroads transformed 19th-century transportation, governments standardized track gauges, signaling, and safety protocols. The advent of electricity led to codes and standards preventing fires and electrocutions. The automobile revolution necessitated traffic laws and safety measures like seat belts and airbags. In aviation, bodies like the FAA established rigorous safety standards, making flying the safest form of transportation.

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ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:

There are 7 categories, with the latest addition, (#7) being a Friday weekly roundup of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) global nuclear news stories. Also included is a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives. The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War
5. Nuclear War Threats
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There is one Yellowstone Caldera bonus story available in this evening’s Post.)
7. IAEA Weekly News (Friday’s only)

Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS, Wednesday, (08/28/2024)

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

Did Ukraine just call Putin’s nuclear bluff? – Vox

Vox

Zelenskyy says its time for the West to stop being so scared about Russian nuclear escalation … “Our partners understand all these things very well, …

Nuclear Energy Is A Distraction From Climate Action – India Seminar Series – CleanTechnica

CleanTechnica

Earlier discussions were Electrifying Everything Everywhere All at Once, for example, because electricity is the most efficient way to deliver th

California’s Draft AI Law Would Protect More than Just People | TIME

Time

“This is a tough call and will make some people upset, but, all things … nuclear one at Three Mile Island on March 28, 1979, could set a …

Nuclear Power

NEWS

Nuclear reactors a mile underground promise safe, cheap power – New Atlas

New Atlas

Deep Fission has come up with a new solution to the economic and safety problems of nuclear power that is, to say the least, novel.

An American Nuclear Renaissance Starts by Reviving the Atomic Age of Old

American Enterprise Institute

How difficult a task? America is finding out when it comes to one particular sector: nuclear energy. The Palisades nuclear power plant in Michigan, …

Russia’s Kursk nuclear plant “extremely exposed” if attacked, UN watchdog warns

YouTube

A day after one of Russia’s largest aerial attacks on Ukraine, at least eight more Ukrainians have been killed in new strikes on Tuesday.

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

Residents frustrated after Duke Energy Nuclear Station siren malfunction – FOX Carolina

FOX Carolina

A malfunction caused  …

Residents frustrated after Duke Energy Nuclear Station siren malfunction – YouTube

YouTube

A malfunction caused emergency sirens at Duke Energy’s nuclear power station to be heard in two Upstate counties. Duke is investigating the cause …

Kazakhstan advances nuclear power plans amid energy shortages – Daryo.uz

Daryo.uz

… emergency situations. These reactors feature multiple backup systems and deeply echeloned emergency protections to ensure safety. Photo …

Nuclear War

NEWS

Russian Nuclear Attack Risk! World War 3 Closer Than Ever Before? Lavrov’s Warning Amid …

YouTube

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov suggested the West ‘is asking for it’. Lavrov spoke about weapons potentially being supplied to and used by …

From Cold War to Hot Nukes: Could the US or China win a full-scale nuclear war?

The Economic Times

The Centre for a New American Security’s exercise on a 2032 Sino-American nuclear war scenario over Taiwan reveals alarming insights.

UN watchdog says Russian nuclear plant ‘extremely exposed’ if attacked – YouTube

YouTube

Comments5 · How much worse is the humanitarian crisis becoming in Gaza? · Why Germany Hates Nuclear Power · The First 20 Minutes of a Nuclear Attack …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

Russia warns the United States of the risks of World War Three – CNBC TV18

CNBC TV18

Russia warns the United States of the risks of World War Three. Sergei … Russia’s 2020 nuclear doctrine sets out when its president would consider …

Russia again threatens nuclear weapons: Zelenskyy commented on the threats – ТСН

ТСН

Massive Russian attack: an expert identifies the threats of the coming days … Following the massive attack on August 26, when Putin’s army launched a …

Zelenskyy holds briefing on Russia-Ukraine war and nuclear threats

Mississippi Valley Publishing

SMS · Email. AP. Zelenskyy holds briefing on Russia-Ukraine war and nuclear threats. Aug 27, 2024; 4 hrs ago. Facebook · Twitter · WhatsApp · SMS 

Yellowstone Caldera

NEWS

57 km WNW of Tatitlek, Alaska, on Tuesday, Aug 27, 2024, at 05:47 pm (Anchorage Time)

Volcano Discovery

… caldera and picturesque villages. Discover its fascinating … Yellowstone quakes · Yellowstone quakes · Latest earthquakes under Yellowstone volcano

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity”

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

Aug 28, 2024

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LLAW’s NUCLEAR ISSUES & COMMENTS, Tuesday, (08/27/2024)

This Post about an International outreach to all proponents of Nuclear Arms Disarmament on a global basis at an ICAN meeting in Kazakhstan demonstrates that the 9 countries with nuclear arms are threatening the future of the a living world, pointing out that they are just 9 of almost 200 countries globally, and that Kazakhstan, a country “having suffered the devastating consequences of decades of Soviet nuclear testing – understand all too well why disarmament is a humanitarian necessity,” will preside over the third meeting of states parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, or TPNW, in March 2025.

I have chosen this brief, but challenging, article for this evening because it demonstrates that, by far, the larger world population wants nothing to do with nuclear arms, and for obvious good reasons.

But do the nuclear-armed countries give a damn? Frankly, I don’t think so. And “therein lies the rub.” The points made here by Melissa Parke, Executive Director of ICAN, dramatically speak to the reasons that eventual world disarmament is necessary if Earth is to continue its ability to sustain life.

But the nuclear powers will never listen for reasons that are barely understandable by these peace-loving nations. And the hell of it all is that we who live in these 9 nations are so enamored of ‘all things nuclear’ that we are not only building bigger and more powerful nuclear weapons to manage an artificial resistance to nuclear war called ‘deterrence’, but are also adding untold more danger to all kinds of living populations, of the world by expanding and adding something called nuclear power to the mix, and that addition is potentially just as dangerous and life-threatening as their nuclear arms cousins. ~llaw

August 27, 2024 Updates

Measures to Strengthen Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones: ICAN remarks to Astana Workshop

On 27-28 August, Kazakhstan is hosting a meeting for all Nuclear Weapons Free Zones (NWFZ), to foster cooperation, enhance consultation mechanisms and explore how NWFZ can contribute to efforts to respond to existing and emerging security threats related to nuclear weapons. Hon. Melissa Parke, Executive Director of ICAN,  delivered the following remarks: 

Measures to Strengthen Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones

Excellencies, distinguished colleagues,

It is my honour to deliver some brief remarks today on behalf of ICAN, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.

Let me begin by thanking our host, Kazakhstan, for its tremendous leadership over many years in advancing the cause of nuclear disarmament. It has demonstrated, through its actions, that a country is better off without these horrific, earth-endangering weapons. That disarmament can be done, and must be done.

Of course, the people of Kazakhstan – having suffered the devastating consequences of decades of Soviet nuclear testing – understand all too well why disarmament is a humanitarian necessity.

Like the hibakusha of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, nuclear test survivors here and in other parts of the world have courageously shared their personal testimonies time and again, in the hope that no one else will ever suffer as they have. It is time to heed their warnings.

ICAN is delighted that Kazakhstan will preside over the third meeting of states parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, or TPNW, in March 2025 – continuing its leadership in this field. Your country has an important message to share with the world, especially in these deeply troubling times, with the nuclear arms race gaining speed and the threat of nuclear war looming large over us all.

Let me also extend my thanks to each and every country here belonging to a nuclear-weapon-free zone – for having rejected nuclear weapons in your region. Many of you have also rejected them globally, by joining the TPNW. You have shown that security is achieved through cooperation, not the development and stockpiling of horrifically destructive weapons.

One of our greatest challenges, as advocates for nuclear disarmament, is to keep expectations high, even in gloomy times like these. To raise the bar even as others try to lower it.

It is easy to become despondent and pessimistic when one considers the current state of affairs. Not only are nuclear-armed states failing to fulfil their legal obligation to disarm; they are instead moving in the opposite direction by enhancing and, in some cases, expanding their nuclear forces. An affront to humanity.

But the stakes are too high to give in to despair. And nuclear-weapon-free zones can be a source of hope and inspiration. They show that a different way is possible. If large geographic regions such as Latin America and Africa and Southeast Asia can be kept free of nuclear weapons, why not, one day, the entire world?

I sometimes hear members of the public say, ignorantly, that we need nuclear weapons because everyone else has them. They seem to believe that possessing nuclear weapons is the norm, when in fact just nine out of almost 200 countries in the world have them. Being a part of a nuclear-weapon-free zone is the norm.

This workshop is an important opportunity to foster greater cooperation among the various zones, and to continue the crucial work of reinforcing the nuclear taboo and building the institutional framework needed to eliminate nuclear weapons completely.

I wish to make two specific appeals to you today:

The first is to incorporate the perspectives of civil society in your work to the greatest degree possible. ICAN has been delighted to participate in the general conferences of OPANAL and meetings of states parties to the Treaty of Pelindaba, for example, and we would warmly welcome the opportunity for further cooperation.

It is important for the public to be aware that such discussions are taking place, and for public opinion to influence decision-making. We can help to ensure both.

My second appeal is for all members of nuclear-weapon-free zones to sign and ratify the TPNW if they have not yet done so. The TPNW complements and reinforces the nuclear-weapon-free zone treaties, as well as the Non-Proliferation Treaty and Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. It is an opportunity to transform your strong regional norms into global norms.

Moreover, joining the TPNW should be a relatively straightforward process for zone members, given that the zone treaties and the TPNW have similar core obligations and objectives. Many of your countries would no doubt already have in place the necessary domestic legislation and procedures to fulfil your obligations under the TPNW.

Despite the many challenges that we face, it is essential that we continue the serious, practical work of laying the foundations for nuclear disarmament.

We must continue, with determination and urgency, the transition from nuclear-weapon-free zones to a nuclear-weapon-free world.

Thank you.

Further reading:

Experts and governments meet to discuss the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons

Leading Swiss figures call on Switzerland to join UN nuclear ban treaty

Nuclear Spending vs Healthcare

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ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:

There are 7 categories, with the latest addition, (#7) being a Friday weekly roundup of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) global nuclear news stories. Also included is a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives. The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War
5. Nuclear War Threats
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There are two Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in this evening’s Post.)
7. IAEA Weekly News (Friday’s only)

Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS, Tuesday, (08/27/2024)

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

Iranian supreme leader open to nuclear talks with US: Report | Fox News Video

Fox News

Fox News contributor Mike Pompeo joined ‘Fox & Friends’ to discuss his reaction to the report, former President Trump’s promise to fire officials …

UN nuclear chief visits Russia’s Kursk atomic plant near front line | Reuters

Reuters

U.N. nuclear agency chief Rafael Grossi arrived on Tuesday at the Kursk nuclear power plant which Moscow says has been repeatedly attacked by …

Opinion: Why is the U.S. fighting nuclear threats behind closed doors? – The Portland Press Herald

The Portland Press Herald

Policy shifts without public messaging will only make adversaries more paranoid and a full-on arms race all but inevitable.

Nuclear Power

NEWS

Can a Closed Nuclear Power Plant From the ’70s Be Brought Back to Life? – WSJ

WSJ

Surging demand for electricity and new investment in green energy drove the plan to restart Michigan’s decommissioned Palisades plant.

US Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy’s post – Facebook – Facebook

Full Coverage

UN watchdog says fighting poses serious risk to Russian nuclear plant | Reuters

Reuters

IAEA’s Grossi visits Kursk nuclear plant · Kursk plant is 40 km (25 miles) from fighting · Russia says Ukraine has attacked the site · Ukraine has yet to …

Nuclear industry eyes Kentucky but don’t expect nuclear power plants anytime soon | News

The Paducah Sun

The director of an energy research center at UK told state lawmakers it’s not likely a nuclear power plant will be built in Kentucky in the next …

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

Nuclear Watchdog Says Russia Elevates Risk Running Kursk Reactor – Bloomberg.com

Bloomberg.com

Monitors from the United Nations atomic watchdog said Rosatom Corp. is elevating the risk of a radiological emergency by continuing to operate a …

Nuclear Watchdog Begins Inspection of Russia’s Kursk Plant – BNN Bloomberg

BNN Bloomberg

“The major concern right now is an accidental military strike,” said Robert Kelley, a former IAEA director and emergency-response coordinator at the …

Oconee County Nuclear Station siren activation – WYFF

WYFF

“The Oconee Nuclear Station is operating safely. “Duke Energy has received information that some emergency warning sirens sounded in the Pickens …

Nuclear War

NEWS

Russia warns the United States of the risks of World War Three | Reuters

Reuters

Lavrov says the West is playing with fire over Ukraine · Russia is clarifying its nuclear doctrine, Lavrov says · Lavrov talks about the dangers of …

If a China and America war went nuclear, who would win? | The Straits Times

The Straits Times

China uses “theatre” nuclear weapons – with a shorter range and smaller yield than the city-busting “strategic” missiles – to shorten the war by …

Lavrov: US doesn’t fully understand consequences of possible nuclear war

azərbaycan24

The US doesn’t fully understand the consequences that will occur in the event of a nuclear war, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

OPINION: Why is the US fighting nuclear threats behind closed doors?

Anchorage Daily News

OPINION: Why is the US fighting nuclear threats behind closed doors? … Joe Biden also used to speak regularly and urgently about the dangers of …

Measures to Strengthen Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones: ICAN Statement to Astana Workshop

International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons

… threats related to nuclear weapons. Hon. Melissa Parke, Executive … threat of nuclear war looming large over us all. Let me also extend my …

Russia warns the United States of the risks of World War Three | Reuters

Reuters

Lavrov says the West is playing with fire over Ukraine · Russia is clarifying its nuclear doctrine, Lavrov says · Lavrov talks about the dangers of ..

Yellowstone Caldera

NEWS

Hydrothermal explosions—a worldwide phenomena | U.S. Geological Survey – USGS.gov

USGS.gov

… Yellowstone. Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory.

The disappearing mountains and hungry volcano: Researching the evolution of the Teton Range

MSN

… Yellowstone caldera following the Huckleberry Ridge eruption more than 2 million years ago. Related video: The ACTUAL Tallest Mountain In the …

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity”

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

Aug 26, 2024

1

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A massive generator runs at Diablo Canyon, the only operational nuclear plant in California

LLAW’s NUCLEAR ISSUES & COMMENTS, Monday, (08/26/2024)

Well, here we are again, reporting another round of negativity about the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant in California at Avila Beach just over 10 miles southwest of San Luis Obispo. The plant is owned by PG&E, which, given the company’s seemingly eternal accident-prone and error-filled existence, definitely adds to why the plant should have been beginning preparing for its permanent shutdown and dismantling beginning in 2025 rather than a new lease on life through 2030 proffered up by billions of taxpayer dollars from California and the United States governments.

The plant, as the Los Angeles Times article below states, is risky, not the least of which are potential major radiation leaks from old age as well as the risk of a severe earthquake that could demolish the plant causing widespread damage similar to Japan’s Fukushima accident created by “acts of god” including an earthquake that created a tsunami in 2011. That plant is, of course, totally inoperable forever, but the parent company is being allowed to dump millions of tons of ‘safety-treated’ nuclear waste into the nearby Pacific Ocean, which of course has the fishing industry in a well-justified uproar.

And there are other risks, which are always prevalent during the operation of all nuclear power plants everywhere, including fires, terrorism or war, control of nuclear waste, which is already a growing problem for California at the 2013 shutdown of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station near San Clemente.

All nuclear power plants, as well as other nuclear facilities and products, like nuclear bombs, are also ‘risky business’, but we don’t seem to care enough to “bite the bullet” and rid ourselves of the most dangerous product ever known on planet Earth. Instead, we lie to ourselves, hide our heads in the sand, and continue on playing against the odds on the very future of life on planet Earth. That is the ‘real’ risk . . . ~llaw

California’s last nuclear plant is a risky, costly business

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

By Ryan Fonseca Staff Writer 

Aug. 26, 2024 6:30 AM PT

Why Diablo Canyon is a risky business

When you watch TV, run your AC or charge your phone overnight, a portion of the energy you’re using may have come from the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant.

The PG&E-run facility — perched on the edge of the Central California coast — runs around the clock, generating electricity thanks to massive copper coils spun rapidly by steam generated by nuclear fission.

The plant is central in an ongoing debate over California’s energy future, Noah Haggerty, a mass media fellow at The Times, explained this week. Key arguments center on the skyrocketing cost of nuclear energy and the risks of an earthquake leading to nuclear disaster.

“As Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration looks to the aging reactor to help ease the state’s transition to renewable energy, Diablo Canyon is drawing renewed criticism from those who say the facility is too expensive and too dangerous to continue operating,” he wrote.

Nuclear energy has become a costly power source.

It used to be that wind and solar power cost orders of magnitude more than producing electricity at a nuclear plant.

But the high demand for renewable energy spurred technological advances that have drastically reduced those costs. The state has been ramping up its power storage capacity, which cuts against one argument for nuclear power — that it’s needed to keep the lights on when there’s no sun or wind.

Nuclear energy now costs about double what those other sources do, Noah reported.

In recent years, nuclear plants have racked up costs because of more outages and equipment being replaced. MIT researchers in one study also pointed to higher costs from research and development. They also cited decreased worker productivity, possibly due to low morale.

Another reason for rising costs are safety requirements, many of which were put in place after the Fukushima disaster in Japan in 2011, when a powerful earthquake and tsunami led to a nuclear meltdown.

Earthquakes remain the key risk for the plant.

They make up about 65% of the assessed risk for the worst possible meltdown, Noah noted, because of nearby fault lines.

If an earthquake were to occur and critically damage the plant before operators could shut down the nuclear fission happening inside, the unchecked reaction would create a meltdown.

If that were to happen, the clean energy source could essentially become a giant dirty bomb, spewing radioactive material into the atmosphere faster than nearby communities could evacuate.

If you’re one for probabilities, here are a couple for you:

“Every year, nearby residents have roughly the same chance of seeing a nuclear meltdown as dying in a car crash,” Noah wrote. “Also, in any given year, they’re about 50 times more likely to face a mass-casualty radioactive catastrophe than get struck by lightning.”

Officials at the PG&E plant point to their many earthquake precautions, including reinforced infrastructure designed to prevent collapses, plus immersive simulations to train operators for the worst-case scenario.

Critics have voiced concerns that regulators have overlooked and lowballed some of the seismic safety risks.

(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Diablo Canyon was slated to start closing this year. Then Gov. Gavin Newsom stepped in.

Back in 2016, PG&E agreed to close its plant when the operating licenses expire in November 2024 and August 2025.

But in some last-minute legislative maneuvering, Newsom struck a deal to keep the plant running until 2030, which federal regulators later approved.

Newsom argues that keeping Diablo Canyon running is vital to protect against blackouts in the state and “provide an onramp for more clean energy projects to come online.”

In recent years, Californians’ attitudes on nuclear power have shifted.

A 2022 poll from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, co-sponsored by The Times, found that 44% of state voters supported building more nuclear reactors in California, while 37% of those polled were opposed. Another 19% were undecided.

You can read Noah’s full story here.

---

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ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:

There are 7 categories, with the latest addition, (#7) being a Friday weekly roundup of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) global nuclear news stories. Also included is a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives. The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War
5. Nuclear War Threats
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There are no Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in this evening’s Post.)
7. IAEA Weekly News (Friday’s only)

Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS, Monday, (08/26/2024)

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

The post-Cold-War nuclear disarmament period is over, Pentagon says – KSMU Radio

KSMU Radio

… about the dangers of what is being called the new nuclear age … All Things Considered. Next Up: 6:30 PM All Songs Considered. 0:00. 0:00.

The post-Cold-War nuclear disarmament period is over, Pentagon says

Siouxland Public Media KWIT-KOJI

… about the dangers of what is being called the new nuclear age … All Things Considered. Next Up: 6:00 PM World Cafe. 0:00. 0:00. All Things …

The post-Cold-War nuclear disarmament period is over, Pentagon says – WMUK

WMUK

All Things Considered. Next Up: 6:00 PM The Daily. 0:00. 0:00. All Things … And when we say deterrence, we shouldn’t just think about nuclear …

Nuclear Power

NEWS

IAEA Director General Statement on Kursk Nuclear Power Plant

International Atomic Energy Agency

Given the serious situation, I am personally leading the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) mission to the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) in …

California’s Diablo Canyon nuclear plant is a risky, costly business – Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times

Two domes rise into the sky at a nuclear power plant. Twin containment domes, shrouded in fog, house the nuclear reactors at Diablo Canyon nuclear …

Russia attacks near Ukraine nuclear plant – YouTube

YouTube

Russia’s attack Monday morning hit areas near Ukraine’s largest nuclear power plant.

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

Although the world is competing to secure nuclear power, Korea is in an emergency as four …

mk.co.kr

Nuclear power plants are essential for reducing carbon emissions and providing stable power to high-tech industries, including artificial intelligence …

With the world competing to secure nuclear power, Korea is in an emergency as four existing nuclear

mk.co.kr

Nuclear power plants are essential for reducing carbon emissions and supplying stable power to high-tech industries, including artificial intelligence …

Outages introduced as preventive measures, due to damage to power equipment – adviser to PM

interfax.com.ua

Emergency power outages are associated … “There were nuances related to the limitation of power output, including from nuclear power plants.

Nuclear War

NEWS

The post-Cold-War nuclear disarmament period is over, Pentagon says | WHQR

WHQR

We had an arms race during the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. Each side built tens of thousands of nuclear weapons at the …

IACS, UNM host groundbreaking forum on nuclear weapons

UNM Newsroom – The University of New Mexico

… nuclear war. The discussion, “Forum on Nuclear Strategy: Disarmament & Deterrence in a Dangerous World,” will be held from 1:45 to 5 p.m. (MDT) on …

IACS, UNM hosts groundbreaking forum on nuclear weapons

UNM Newsroom – The University of New Mexico

A groundbreaking discussion in September at The University of New Mexico will feature high-ranking public policy experts, influential spiritual …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

Andreas Kluth: Why is the US fighting nuclear threats behind closed doors? – Manhattan Mercury

Manhattan Mercury

Andreas Kluth: Why is the US fighting nuclear threats behind closed doors … Joe Biden also used to speak regularly and urgently about the dangers of …

The Battle of Kursk probably won’t result in nuclear weapons use against Ukraine. But …

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

It can be predicted with reasonable confidence that Russia will not threaten, much less use, nuclear weapons against Ukraine … nuclear war was at its …

North Korea conducts ‘suicide drones’ test, Kim Jong un calls for war preparedness

Times of India

Animosity between North and South Korea is escalating as Kim Jong Un continues to fortify his nuclear-armed military and issue threats aimed at …

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity”

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

Aug 25, 2024

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LLAW’s NUCLEAR ISSUES & COMMENTS, Sunday, (08/25/2024)

Sundays are now a day off for me, too, but I will, recognizing that “All Things Nuclear” don’t stop on weekends, continue to take the time to format the TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS section of this daily blog for you on both Saturday and Sunday to allow you to read the “best” information AI can find on a daily basis from all around the world, with nuclear news outlets from news organizations that you’ve never heard of, not just American sources, that are worthy of your attention.

Among the several really interesting headlines over the weekends, I will provide a link just below as the one I think may be the most important to you. This is the one for today:

Forget Three Mile Island: Energy Visionaries Plan a Fleet of Nuclear Power Stations Across America

The New York Sun

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ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:

There are 7 categories, with the latest addition, (#7) being a Friday weekly roundup of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) global nuclear news stories. Also included is a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives. The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War
5. Nuclear War Threats
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There is one Yellowstone Caldera bonus story available in this evening’s Post.)
7. IAEA Weekly News (Friday’s only)

Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS, Sunday, (08/25/2024)

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

The post-Cold-War nuclear disarmament period is over, Pentagon says | WUNC

WUNC

… about the dangers of what is being called the new nuclear age … All Things Considered. Next Up: 6:30 PM Marketplace. 0:00. 0:00. All Things …

The post-Cold-War nuclear disarmament period is over, Pentagon says – NPR

NPR

… about the dangers of what is being called the new nuclear age … All Things Considered · Fresh Air · Up First. Featured. The NPR Politics …

The post-Cold-War nuclear disarmament period is over, Pentagon says – WUFT

WUFT

… about the dangers of what is being called the new nuclear age … All Things Considered. Next Up: 6:00 PM Marketplace. 0:00. 0:00. All Things …

Nuclear Power

NEWS

Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant, a year since release of treated radioactive water

YouTube

Today marks one year since Japan began releasing treated radioactive water from its crippled Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea.

Forget Three Mile Island: Energy Visionaries Plan a Fleet of Nuclear Power Stations Across America

The New York Sun

‘We have seen a huge pivot and finally a recognition of the benefits that come from nuclear power,’ one backer says.

AI’s insatiable energy demand is going nuclear – Yahoo Finance

Yahoo Finance

Big Tech companies are striking major power-generation deals as they attempt to balance AI energy needs and sustainability goals.

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant at risk of blackout amid Russian strikes – MSN

MSN

Currently, the plant is connected to the Ukrainian energy system by only one 750kV power line, the Dniprovska. If this line is damaged, an emergency …

Nuclear War

NEWS

North Korea Issues Nuclear Warning After Report of New US Strategy – Newsweek

Newsweek

The U.S. is the only country to have used nuclear weapons in warfare, detonating two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, during World War …

The post-Cold-War nuclear disarmament period is over, Pentagon says – NPR

NPR

NPR’s Ayesha Rascoe speaks to nuclear expert James Acton from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace about the dangers of what is being …

Behind the propaganda: a glimpse of the real war in Ukraine –

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament

With NATO behind him, Zelensky insists that Ukrainian forces will fight Russia until every inch of territory, including the Crimea, comes under …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

Putin’s war is raising risk of another Chernobyl, says historian who inspired hit TV show

The Guardian

Serhii Plokhy’s account of the 1986 disaster stunned readers and TV audiences. Now his new book warns that the threat of nuclear terror has only …

Neutralizing Iran’s nuclear threat without force or sanctions – opinion – The Jerusalem Post

The Jerusalem Post

Successive Netanyahu-led governments have portrayed Iran’s nuclear program as an existential threat to Israel. For Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, …

Biden’s policy faux pas heightens nuclear risks – The Express Tribune

The Express Tribune

Biden’s policy faux pas heightens nuclear risks. The US president has shifted the focus of Washington’s nuclear strategy to deterring Beijing. By .

Yellowstone Caldera

NEWS

Yellowstone Biscuit Basin explosion may have created a new geyser – MSN

MSN

Geologists at the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO) estimated the height of the plume by examining photos posted on social media. They also …

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity”

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

Aug 24, 2024

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LLAW’s NUCLEAR ISSUES & COMMENTS, Saturday, (08/24/2024)

It is Saturday, the 1st weekend day I will not be looking hard at evaluating and making “Issues & Comments”, usually concerning the most dangerous, worthy, or sensitive of the Google AI articles I receive from my “Daily Digest” that I created on Google two years ago.

Sundays will be a day off for me, too, but I will, recognizing that “All Things Nuclear” don’t stop on weekends, continue to take the time to format the TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS section of this daily blog for you on both days to allow you to read the “best” information AI can find on a daily basis from all around the world, with nuclear news outlets from news organizations that you’ve never heard of, not just American sources, that bear your attention.

Among several really interesting headlines over the weekends, I will provide a link just below as the one I think may be the most important to you. This is the one for today:

North Korea Warns of ‘Serious Consequences’ as Kamala Harris Condemns ‘Tyrant’ Kim Jong Un

Newsweek

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ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:

There are 7 categories, with the latest addition, (#7) being a Friday weekly roundup of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) global nuclear news stories. Also included is a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives. The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War
5. Nuclear War Threats
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There is one Yellowstone Caldera bonus story available in this evening’s Post.)
7. IAEA Weekly News (Friday’s only)

Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS, Saturday, (08/24/2024)

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

What it takes to replace a flight with a long-distance bike ride – BBC

BBC

Not everything was easy, of course. I was intimidated, harassed by motorbikes and, twice, treated to the cycling-in-traffic hallmark of being shouted …

19-year-old first-time delegate from California shares his experience at the DNC | KGOU

KGOU

All Things Considered. Next Up: 7:00 PM National Native News. 0:00. 0:00 … Prior to joining NPR, she worked at several news organizations covering …

There’s Nuclear In Wyoming: Chris Levesque On Our Modern Power Needs – Forbes

Forbes

“Nuclear is all about density, and that’s important as we look at the … things like electric vehicles and the electrification of industry.

Nuclear Power

NEWS

Nuclear industry eyes Kentucky but don’t expect nuclear power plants anytime soon

Kentucky Lantern

Nuclear energy companies are interested in moving to Kentucky but it’s unlikely a nuclear power plant will be built in the next 10 years, …

Russia Issues New Nuclear Warning as Ukraine’s Kursk Invasion Expands – Newsweek

Newsweek

Moscow accused Ukraine of attempting an attack against a nuclear power plant in Kursk.

Startup raises $4m to build nuclear reactors a mile underground – Data Center Dynamics

Data Center Dynamics

“We’ve innovated beyond other reactor designs and engaged early and often with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to make atomic energy a viable option …

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

Nearly 300,000 Bangladeshis in emergency shelters after floods | Arab News PK

Arab News Pakistan

Blix, 96, who headed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from 1981 to 1997, spoke to AFP on a range of issues in an hour-long interview at …

Iceland: State Of Emergency Declared Due To New Volcanic Eruption | Watch – MSN

MSN

American crocodile population growing in Florida thanks to nuclear …

WHO Declares Public Health Emergency Over Mpox Outbreak in Africa – MyChesCo

MyChesCo

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a Public Health Emergency … Nuclear power plant · Chester County Offers Free …

Nuclear War

NEWS

The cost of nuclear deterrence in a new world order | DW Business – YouTube

YouTube

if India peace deal and diplomacy won’t work which means neither sides committed to stop the war than we would see a tactical nuclear war.

At Televised Meet, Putin’s Scary Revelation; Alarmed UN Watchdog Rushes – YouTube

YouTube

Russia-Ukraine War: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Aug 22 accused Ukraine of trying to attack the Kursk nuclear power station.

North Korea Warns of ‘Serious Consequences’ as Kamala Harris Condemns ‘Tyrant’ Kim Jong Un

Newsweek

… nuclear war.” More Korean Central News Agency via AP. “Amid the ever-escalating political and military tension in the Korean peninsula due to the …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

Searching for nuclear bombs at the Democratic convention – Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

With “joy” as the operative word among Democrats rallying at the DNC this week, nuclear threats appeared very far from their minds.

Zelensky vows retribution for Russia, calls Putin a ‘sick man’ for nuclear threats

South China Morning Post

Zelensky vows retribution for Russia, calls Putin a ‘sick man’ for nuclear threats. Zelensky also announced that Ukrainian forces carried out …

Vladimir Putin’s ‘Iron Doll’ makes WW3 threat – ‘we are a nuclear power’ – Irish Star

Irish Star

Vladimir Putin’s ‘Iron Doll’ makes WW3 threat – ‘we are a nuclear power’ … Fears of World War 3 have ramped up as a top Russian pundit, often dubbed ..

Yellowstone Caldera

NEWS

Iceland: State Of Emergency Declared Due To New Volcanic Eruption | Watch – MSN

MSN

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity”

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

Aug 23, 2024

1

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LLAW’s NUCLEAR ISSUES & COMMENTS, Friday, (08/23/2024)

This all sounds like double standards to me. Putin’s anger or indignant attitude seems to be based on some mystical rule that turnabout is not fair, even in a long, drawn out war that is taking a heavy toll on both countries.

Is it any different than when Russia attacked the Ukraine more than three years ago and took over the Ukraine’s largest nuclear power plant, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station in southeast Ukraine? Russian military personnel also are in charge of the plant’s operations, although the plant is currently primarily shut down due to the nearby Russia/Ukraine ground war that has threatened the safety of the plant many time over, and has also insanely disabled the electrical grid system that feeds the plant with its operational electrical power, resulting in diesel generators saving the day, creating a situation that could have caused a meltdown, threatening the lives of millions of citizens in Ukraine and parts of Europe.

Putin must not believe in the old adage, “All is fair in love and war.” ~llaw

Kursk nuclear plant is one of Russia’s top atomic power stations

By Reuters

August 22, 2024 6:10 AM PDT Updated a day ago

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting on situation in Belgorod, Kursk and Bryansk regions following an incursion of Ukrainian troops in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, via video link at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia August 22, 2024. Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Pool via REUTERS

MOSCOW, Aug 22 (Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine on Thursday of trying to strike Russia’s Kursk nuclear power station in an overnight attack.

He provided no documentary evidence to back up his assertion and there was no immediate comment from Ukraine.

Here are some details about the plant.

* The Kursk plant is one of Russia’s top nuclear power stations. It supplies about half of the electricity used in the Black Earth region of southern Russia.

* It is located on the Seym River near the town of Kurchatov, named after Soviet nuclear physicist Igor Kurchatov, in Russia’s western region of Kursk. Ukrainian forces launched a cross-border incursion in the Kursk region on Aug. 6.

* The plant has four Soviet graphite-moderated RBMK-1000 reactors – the same design as those at the Chernobyl nuclear plant which in 1986, when part of the Soviet Union, became the scene of the world’s worst nuclear disaster.

* Reactor Number 1, which dates from 1976, was shut down at the Kursk plant in 2021 to operate in non-generation mode. Reactor Number 2, which dates from 1979, was shut down in 2024. Reactor Number 3, from 1983, and Reactor Number 4, from 1985, are both operational.

* Construction of Kursk-2, essentially new reactors of the VVER-TOI type, was begun in 2018. The two reactors are not operational yet.

---

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ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:

There are 7 categories, with the latest addition, (#7) being a Friday weekly roundup of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) global nuclear news stories. Also included is a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives. The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War
5. Nuclear War Threats
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There is one Yellowstone Caldera bonus story available in this evening’s Post.)
7. IAEA Weekly News (Friday’s only)

Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS, Friday, (08/23/2024)

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

Museum dedicated to Kansas City’s influential garment district closing after 2 decades

KCUR

All Things Considered. Next Up: 6:00 PM Marketplace. 0:00. 0:00. All Things … nuclear arms race. Stay Connected. twitter · instagram · youtube …

The Little League Coach of the Year explains why America loves coaches – The Washington Post

Washington Post

… about to go nuclear. Story continues below advertisement. They stick with us … “You miss all of those things if your focus is on, you know …

Early voting is about to begin in the Massachusetts state primary — with a first | WBUR News

WBUR

For the first time this year, every Massachusetts city and town is required to offer in-person weekend early voting for the state primary.

Nuclear Power

NEWS

Russia accuses Ukraine of trying to attack Kursk nuclear power plant with drone | Reuters

Reuters

Russia accused Ukraine on Friday of trying to attack the Kursk nuclear power station overnight in what it called an act of “nuclear terrorism”, …

EXCLUSIVE: US confirms nuclear pact with Armenia ‘under consideration’ – Civilnet.am

Civilnet.am

That could pave the way for the United States to design and build a new nuclear power plant in Armenia to replace the country’s aging, Soviet-era …

Putin says Ukrainian forces tried to strike Kursk nuclear plant – Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera

Russian President Vladimir Putin says Ukrainian forces have tried to attack the Kursk Nuclear Power Station in an overnight raid.

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

Nuclear security, nonproliferation focus of National Lab’s summer school – Daily Energy Insider

Daily Energy Insider

… emergency response. Mintz gave students an overview of the Nuclear Emergency Support Team and the types of events for which they provide …

‘On brink of blackout’ – Ukenergo comments on situation at Zaporizhia nuclear plant – Букви

Букви

The line is crucial as it supplies the nuclear power plant with electricity … emergency diesel generators and safety systems. Failure of these …

Nuclear War

NEWS

Why Is the US Fighting Nuclear Threats Behind Closed Doors? – Hindustan Times

Hindustan Times

Joe Biden also used to speak regularly and urgently about the dangers of nuclear proliferation and war. But that was when he was vice president, and …

Russia accuses Ukraine of trying to attack Kursk nuclear power plant with drone | Reuters

Reuters

Russia accused Ukraine on Friday of trying to attack the Kursk nuclear power station overnight in what it called an act of “nuclear terrorism”, …

Kursk nuclear plant is one of Russia’s top atomic power stations | Reuters

Reuters

President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine on Thursday of trying to strike Russia’s Kursk nuclear power station in an overnight attack.

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

Why Is the US Fighting Nuclear Threats Behind Closed Doors? – Hindustan Times

Hindustan Times

Joe Biden also used to speak regularly and urgently about the dangers of nuclear proliferation and war. … Nuclear Threats Behind Closed Doors?

China ‘gravely concerned’ by reported US nuclear strategy shift – The Hill

The Hill

“It is the U.S. who is the primary source of nuclear threats and strategic risks in the world.” … war in Gaza in DNC speech · Supreme Court …

Iran: Neutralizing Nuclear Threat Without Force or Sanctions – IDN-InDepthNews

IDN-InDepthNews

… nuclear weapons. The threat of nuclear escalation acted as a deterrent, preventing full-scale wars between the two nuclear powers, knowing, as …

Yellowstone Caldera

NEWS

The disappearing mountains and hungry volcano: Researching the evolution of the Teton Range

Phys.org

… Yellowstone caldera following the Huckleberry Ridge eruption more than 2 million years ago. The Yellowstone volcano is a hotspot, which means the …

IAEA Weekly News

23 August 2024

Read the top news and updates published on IAEA.org this week.

22 August 2024

IAEA Informed of Drone at Kursk Nuclear Power Plant, Director General Grossi to Assess Site

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been informed by the Russian Federation today that the remains of a drone were found within the territory of the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant. The drone fragments were reported to have been located roughly 100 metres from the plant’s spent fuel nuclear storage facility.  The IAEA was informed that the drone was suppressed in the early morning of 22 August. In this context, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi confirmed his intention to personally assess the situation at the site during his visit next week. Read more →

22 August 2024

Nuclear Security Includes All of Us

With women significantly underrepresented in the field of nuclear security, the IAEA actively promotes gender equality through various initiatives to foster a more diverse and sustainable workforce. Read more →

21 August 2024

IAEA, Kenya and South Africa Work Together to Trace Sediments in Kenyan Port

The IAEA, Kenya and South Africa have been working together to apply a more environmentally friendly method of tracing ocean sediments, in order to keep East Africa’s largest international seaport open for trade.   Read more →

20 August 2024

IAEA Releases Nuclear Power Data and Operating Experience for 2023

Newly released nuclear power data for 2023 collected by the IAEA, paint a picture of a clean energy technology at a crossroads amid the emergence of a new global consensus to accelerate its deployment. Read more →

19 August 2024

What Is Food Fraud, and How Can Nuclear Science Detect It?

Food fraud can be defined as any intentional action, taken to deceive customers about the quality and content of the food products for financial gain. The selling of fake food around the world has become a highly lucrative illegal activity. Read more →

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity”

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

Aug 23, 2024

1

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Methuselah, who is rumored to have lived for 969 years — the longest of us all.

LLAW’s NUCLEAR ISSUES & COMMENTS, Thursday, (08/22/2024)

Wow! Today is the 2nd Anniversary of “All Things Nuclear”! How on Earth could two trips around our Sun have possibly gone so rapidly, leaving nothing but memories so seemingly quickly? And with nary a day off with a “LLAW’s All Things Nuclear” blog post That’s 730 posts, one a day following right behind the latter. That is, I will say, dedication to my purpose here, which is to warn us all around the world that we humans are rapidly moving forward to our collective deaths from ‘all things nuclear’, especially from nuclear war and nuclear power, or a combination of the two with maybe a little help from Greenhous gasses. We could turn around and go back where we came from, but we won’t, and that is the shame and horror of it all . . . but even though I, and a handful of others, know how it could be done, it takes a world of unity, and we humans will not allow unity to happen. The only thing that could save us from ourselves is an unknown intervention from a higher form of life, and even that may not be a pleasant blessing either. But we should know that a life-giving and thriving planet Earth is, in every way possible, worth saving . . . I’ve never understood why we don’t en-masse understand that, but I do know it has something to do with our ability to think and use our natural intellect conclusively and collectively, or rather the lack of it.

I have linked these daily Blog Posts from two of their several source platforms by posting them to Facebook (because Facebook reaches far more people than any other social media platform —numbering in the multiple billions world-wide. Yet, so far, I have just a handful of faithful followers and a few hundred sporadic or occasional visitors. Of course these smallish steps over the two years will not convince me to stop or to throw my hands up and quit, even though Facebook has tried to shut my blog posts down several times, and has attempted to permanently delete about 8 or 10 of them for various violations of their so-called “Community Standards” varying from ‘Cyber Security’ to ‘SPAM’. One way or another, though, I have and will continue on because I am old, set in my ways, and have long known the nuclear industry from its uranium mining roots, uranium fuel processing, and the many dangers ‘all things nuclear’ poses to all of human and other life on this beautiful blue-green planet.

Even if we humans, who have blindly allowed ourselves to be led down a crooked path toward inevitable extinction by governments, corporations, and the nuclear industry’s propaganda, there are those of us who know the industry and who understand the ‘armageddon-like’ trip to and over the proverbial cliff to our demise. But we are never able to convince a world full of apathetic, uncaring, fatalistic, or even simply fearful, nor, most of all, those millions of enthusiastic followers of the mythical future of nuclear power as our ultimate savior. Yet we should still do ourselves the intellectual favor and honor to know the true nature and mechanics of ‘all things nuclear’ and what atomic energy, nuclear fuel, nuclear power plants, and nuclear war are all about and why they will ultimately destroy us and most other innocent life, too, leaving planet Earth a barren and dead planet. Education is all-important, and that is what my anti-nuclear blog is all about.

(And, by the way, I also post my blog to “Linked In”, not only because it is of University of Wyoming origin — where I was born and raised — a venture that has grown internationally, and has a huge well-rounded professional following and I am looking for just the right Sponsor that could allow me to expand the dalily information and purposes that are provided in the blog.)

So those are the reasons I will continue on with the blog and these posts with one exception: Beginning Saturday, I will no longer post on weekends or holidays in deference to my health (both mental and physical) combined with my seemingly Methusalahian-like years of age . . . so I am more likely to be able to continue on with this dramatic global murder mystery of a tale that I have to tell you all for many more years — provided we have “many more years”, which I highly doubt, but at least until there is no more story to tell except the last chapter. ~llaw

Speaking of stories, there are several extra-interesting ones in TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS below. (I’m taking the rest of the day off . . .)

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ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:

There are 7 categories, with the latest addition, (#7) being a Friday weekly roundup of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) global nuclear news stories. Also included is a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives. The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War
5. Nuclear War Threats
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There is one Yellowstone Caldera bonus story available in this evening’s Post.)
7. IAEA Weekly News (Friday’s only)

Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS, Thursday, (08/22/2024)

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

What does Ukraine’s incursion into Russia say about a so-called ‘red line’? – KRWG

KRWG

INSKEEP: I talk with Ukrainians. I think they felt for a long time that the U.S. was way too worried about Russian nuclear retaliation. Have the …

What does Ukraine’s incursion into Russia say about a so-called ‘red line’? – NPR

NPR

Evelyn Farkas is watching all this. She was a deputy assistant secretary of defense in the Obama administration and now leads a nonpartisan think tank …

Daily Report | Air & Space Forces Magazine

Daily Report | Air & Space Forces Magazine

Get your daily fix of Air & Space Force news delivered right to your inbox every day. There’s no more reliable source for news about your Air …

Nuclear Power

NEWS

It’s time for the U.S. to lead on nuclear energy – Clean Air Task Force

Clean Air Task Force

Nuclear energy is a proven energy source that already accounts for around 10 percent of electricity generation globally and nearly 20 percent …

Putin accuses Ukraine of trying to strike Russia’s Kursk nuclear power plant | Reuters

Reuters

President Vladimir Putin on Thursday accused Ukraine of trying to strike Russia’s Kursk nuclear power plant in an overnight attack and said Moscow …

IAEA’s Grossi on Russia, Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant Risks – YouTube

YouTube

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi talks on Bloomberg Television about escalating safety risks at both the …

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

Telephone survey shows how many Kazakhstanis support nuclear power plant construction

Kazinform

Opponents to the construction (32.5%) associate nuclear power plants with potential emergencies and environmental consequences. At the same time …

British defence contractor to work on top secret nuclear monitoring base – The Telegraph

The Telegraph

Serco lands £250m contract to build emergency power station at Greenland space base.

WATCH NOW: DC firefighters respond to emergency call on Wisconsin Ave

DC News Now

WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — Several firefighters in D.C. were on the scene of an emergency … reactor at the damaged Fukushima Nuclear power plant …

Nuclear War

NEWS

If a China and America war went nuclear, who would win? – The Economist

The Economist

During the cold war America and the Soviet Union both planned to use lots of tactical nuclear weapons to destroy large and dispersed troop formations, …

Putin accuses Ukraine of trying to strike Russia’s Kursk nuclear power plant – Reuters

Reuters

Acting Kursk Governor Alexei Smirnov told Putin that the situation at the Kursk plant, which has four Soviet graphite-moderated RBMK-1000 reactors, …

Putin says Ukrainian forces tried to strike Kursk nuclear plant – Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera

The Russian leader does not offer any evidence for his claim but says the UN nuclear watchdog has been alerted.

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

Amid Iran, Russia Attack Threats, USA’s Major Nuclear Weapons Policy Change Revelation

YouTube

Iran Israel War | Nuclear Weapon Threat: U.S. President Joe Biden … Amid Iran, Russia Attack Threats, USA’s Major Nuclear Weapons Policy Change …

Amid Iran, Russia Attack Threats, USA’s Major Nuclear Weapons Policy Change Revelation

Hindustan Times

Watch this video for all the details. News / Videos / World News / Amid Iran, Russia Attack Threats, USA’s Major Nuclear Weapons Policy Change …

Global threats don’t happen in silos. They shouldn’t be managed separately, either.

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

… opportunities to come up with more effective strategies across a range of threats. … Humans should teach AI how to avoid nuclear war—while they 

Yellowstone Caldera

NEWS

The disappearing mountains and hungry volcano | NSF – National Science Foundation

National Science Foundation

… Yellowstone caldera following the Huckleberry Ridge eruption over 2 million years ago. The Yellowstone volcano is a hotspot, which means the volcano …

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity”

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

Aug 21, 2024

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LLAW’s NUCLEAR ISSUES & COMMENTS, Wednesday, (08/21/2024)

This article is an interview by two brilliant people, one who despises the nuclear industry, and one who supports it to a degree, discuss the nuclear industry and the mythical dream of an ‘explosion’ of nuclear produced power that will save us from global warming and climate change.

Nuclear energy will not do either because it just simply takes way too long to put nuclear power plants into nuclear power production, among other issues including the survival of life on planet Earth. CO2 and other greenhouse gasses are ‘breathing down our throats’ and those of us who know the nuclear industry know that, aside from its nasty, dirty, radioactive leftovers and propensity for nuclear “accidents” (that the industry laughably calls ‘clean energy’) the time frame of nuclear power production to adequately solve the fossil fuel problem is far too far away and far too dangerous.

Those clear-thinking scientists like M.V. Ramana, and others with ‘hands-on’ experience know that nuclear energy is incapable of solving the environmental problems we have ignorantly created everywhere around the world, and nuclear products of every kind, including the much ballyhooed SMRs, only compound the problem and increase the dangers of our own method of a potential, even likely, mass extinction of our own suicidal making on planet Earth. ~llaw

Challenging the nuclear industry: interview with M.V. Ramana

20 years ago, you would have been laughed out of the room for claiming that nuclear energy is clean technology. The urgency of the climate crisis has drawn some people to some strange conclusions. -Commentary

by Susan O’Donnell

August 20, 2024

Reading Time: 9min read

M.V. Ramana, author of “Nuclear is Not the Solution: The Folly of Atomic Power in the Age of Climate Change,” advocates for rethinking nuclear energy’s role in addressing climate change. Photo by Susan O’Donnell.

Despite nuclear energy’s notorious problems, the industry remains remarkably resilient, receiving solid support from governments around the world.

Most recently, in Canada, a ministerial working group of federal cabinet members issued “a plan to modernize federal assessment and permitting processes to get clean growth projects built faster.” The plan includes aligning resources so that “nuclear energy remains a strategic asset to Canada now and into the future.”

A prolific and well-known critic of the nuclear industry in Canada – including in New Brunswick – is physicist and professor M.V. Ramana. Ramana is Simons Chair in Disarmament, Global and Human Security at the University of British Columbia. He is back in Vancouver after spending the winter academic term at Princeton University in the U.S., where he previously worked as a researcher for many years.

I last spent time in person with Ramana in June in Montreal where we co-organized a panel, “Challenging the Canadian Nuclear Establishment,” for the Socialist Studies conference. We spoke by phone in July about his new book, Nuclear is Not the Solution: The Folly of Atomic Power in the Age of Climate Change.

O’Donnell: Your last book was about nuclear power in India. Your new book is about nuclear energy and the climate crisis. Why did you want to write about that?

Ramana: About 20 or 30 years ago, if someone had talked about nuclear energy as an environmentally friendly, clean technology, they probably would have been laughed out of the room. But in the last decade or two, the nuclear industry seems to be succeeding in changing how people think of this technology, including some environmentalists and people broadly on the left who one would expect to be critical of the industry’s claims.

Much of that is the emergency framing, in which climate change is seen as the overwhelming problem, and we are asked to ignore every other consideration in addressing that.

Nuclear energy has several well-known problems. The fact that there could be catastrophic accidents has been proven time and again. There is no demonstrated solution to managing radioactive waste for the hundreds of thousands of years it will be hazardous. The link between nuclear weapons and nuclear energy. Climate change is framed as such an existential risk that we should overlook all these other problems.

This argument misses the question of whether nuclear energy is a feasible solution. This is the larger context in which I was trying to address the problem.

As well, these framings of nuclear energy as a solution to climate change miss the relationship between the nuclear industry and the fossil fuel industry and other industries that prefer to maintain the status quo.

O’Donnell: I was at a meeting recently with climate activists who support more nuclear development, and someone said that my opposition to nuclear energy is helping the fossil fuel industry. You just suggested the opposite.

Ramana: Their argument presumes that fossil fuels can only be replaced by nuclear power and ignores the possibility that one might switch to renewables. It’s a standard logical fallacy. Both the fossil fuel industry and the nuclear industry use this narrative. Both will claim that you cannot operate an electricity grid without so-called “baseload” sources of power, and fossil fuels and nuclear power are portrayed as the only options for producing that kind of power.

That form of thinking is outdated at this point. It was how people thought about managing an electricity grid back in the early part of the 20th century, ideas about trying to have power plants operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. So-called “baseload” plants meet the minimal electricity demand that is always present. And then for the much higher demands during certain periods of the day or the year, we will run other kinds of plants.

The growth of renewables goes against that form of thinking because renewables cannot be classified either as baseload or peak power. They generate when the wind the wind is blowing or the sun is shining, and their inclusion forces us to rethink how we manage the grid.

We have come a long way from the idea that we cannot operate a grid using only renewables to understanding that the grid will be stable even with a very high proportion of renewables. If at all there’s any question, it’s about the last 10% or so.

O’Donnell: Right now, among my colleagues, we’re wondering if the “SMR era” is coming to an end in Canada. Here in New Brunswick, it looks like the ARC reactor design is on its way out. Much of the hype in Canada now is about big reactors. We’re seeing SNC Lavalin/ AtkinsRéalis more prominently, trying to sell their big new 1000 MW CANDU design, we hear Bruce Power talking about building multiple new big reactors. The buzz is about big reactors and meanwhile the SMR companies are having money problems. The SMR companies are not getting the resources they need to reach the stage of applying for a license to construct their reactor designs. Maybe in Canada we will skip over the SMR era, except for the one at Darlington, whenever that might be built, and just focus on refurbishments and big reactors.

Ramana: It depends on what you mean by “end of the SMR era.” Even the reactor at Darlington, the BWRX-300, is going to take another 10 to 15 years. During that period, at least, the SMR dream will be alive. The reactor will be much more expensive and take much longer, and so on, but one shouldn’t underestimate the power of both the nuclear industry and its supporters within the government to keep pushing the idea that the next time around, it’s going to be all fine. That has been their standard argument.

In the United States, for example, the AP 1000 reactors built in Vogtle were a complete failure by most measures, right? But now that the reactors have started functioning, you see people from the nuclear industry counting this as a great success. And it’s not that they’re going to decide to build another set of reactors anytime soon, but you cannot rule out that possibility within, let’s say, the next 10 or 15 years.

We see that in people like Jennifer Granholm, the U.S. Energy Secretary, talking about how much nuclear energy must expand over the next few decades, making an argument for more nuclear plants, whether they be small or big. The nuclear industry would want to argue that it’s not a question of small versus large, it’s going to be both. That’s going to be their talking point, and they don’t want to be asked to make a choice, because that infighting is going to weaken the other side, they understand that quite well.

O’Donnell: A chapter in your book deals with the high financial and temporal cost of nuclear energy. You show conclusively, and independent analysis backs you up, that nuclear power is more expensive and takes longer to build than renewable energy and storage.

You found this quote by President Macron of France, which is the most nuclearized state in the world, admitting that France needs to massively develop renewable energy to meet its immediate electricity needs because it takes 15 years to build a nuclear reactor. In the face of clear evidence, a lot of people question why France, and other countries including the U.K. and Canada, seem to be determined to build more nuclear reactors.

Ramana: The first reason is related to how these governments get advice on their energy strategies and policies. The advice tends to come from the very institutions invested in promoting nuclear energy. In the United States, it’s the Department of Energy deciding on energy policy, and one of the Department of Energy’s priorities is to promote nuclear energy. It’s the same in Canada, it’s Natural Resources Canada giving the advice. There’s an institutional bias towards nuclear energy present in the decisions made about energy policies.

The second reason is that in two of the countries you mentioned, the U.K. and France, both have nuclear weapons. In both countries, the relationship between the nuclear energy sector and the capacity to make nuclear weapons as well as the nuclear submarines used to deliver nuclear weapons, has been a talking point the nuclear industry uses to get government support. It’s clear that policymakers are thinking about this connection as a reason to support nuclear energy and make it flourish to the extent that it can.

The last thing is that these countries only look at the low carbon nature of nuclear energy and they see climate change as primarily a technical, maybe economic, issue. They think it can be fixed by changing what technologies we use to generate energy, and some taxes or cap and trade schemes to try and make sure that the market values carbon in an adequate way.

There is no consideration of any deeper changes that we might need to make, towards society and the way we produce and consume materials and energy. That means that nuclear energy or renewables are the only two options that they can think about.

O’Donnell: Coming back to the financial aspects of nuclear power, I often hear that Bill Gates is famously supporting nuclear power, and you do mention him in your book. It’s a puzzle why billionaires, who you would assume are savvy with money, would support nuclear power if it’s such a bad investment.

Ramana: They do invest some money, but only when they expect public funding to be a significant part of whatever project they are proposing. They can use public funding to then raise more money from private markets.

After the 2008 financial crisis, Silicon Valley billionaires have a dearth of investment opportunities for the financial holdings that many of them have. They are trying to find things to invest in. Many of these investors have large portfolios, with every expectation that most of those investments will not materialize in major gains. But the hope is that if you put in 20 investments, and one of them makes a lot of money and becomes like a Facebook type success, then that will more than compensate for all the other investments. And so, they usually look at these long shots. Even if there is a 1% probability, it’s worth investing in.

People like Bill Gates, and Sam Altman and other people also, see technology as a kind of saviour for whatever they want to do. Climate change is a problem for them, because it looks like the effects of climate change might prevent business as usual from continuing, and business as usual is what has allowed them to become the very wealthy people they are. They want people to believe that climate change can be fixed using technological changes and that they themselves will be leading the investment in these technologies and solving climate change.

The challenge they see is that if people don’t have this belief, then they might start making more radical demands. I think I quote Sam Altman in one of my chapters, saying, “People then start thinking this crazy degrowth stuff,” which he calls “immoral” if I remember right. That kind of radical demand is something they don’t want to see become more prominent. And so, technology is always portrayed as not just a savior but also capable of solving climate change. They want that belief to be very central and not questioned. Nuclear energy is part of that portfolio of technologies they envision as solving the problem.

For these investors, the environmental and other risks associated with nuclear power are not challenges they envision as having to deal with. They are not going to live near a nuclear waste repository, or uranium mine, or even a nuclear plant, so they’re not particularly concerned about all these environmental impacts.

Nuclear is Not the Solution: The Folly of Atomic Power in the Age of Climate Change by M.V. Ramana is published by Verso Books and available as an e-book for $11.20 CAD.

Susan O’Donnell is adjunct research professor and lead investigator of the CEDAR project in the Environment & Society program at St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick. She edited this interview for publication..

An earlier version of this article was published by The Energy Mix on August 3, 2024

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ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:

There are 7 categories, with the latest addition, (#7) being a Friday weekly roundup of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) global nuclear news stories. Also included is a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives. The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War
5. Nuclear War Threats
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There are 2 Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in this evening’s Post.)
7. IAEA Weekly News (Friday’s only)

Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS, Wednesday, (08/21/2024)

All Things Nuclear

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Holtec argues state has no authority to ban radioactive water discharge into Cape Cod Bay

WBUR

… nuclear reactor system at Pilgrim as part of the plant decommissioning … All Things Considered · Ways To Listen · All Radio Programs. Podcasts. The …

Challenging the nuclear industry: interview with M.V. Ramana – NB Media Co-op

NB Media Co-op

Much of that is the emergency framing, in which climate change is seen as the overwhelming problem, and we are asked to ignore every other …

What does Ukraine’s incursion into Russia say about a so-called ‘red line’? | TPR

Texas Public Radio

He’s threatened to use nuclear weapons, and frankly, I think the Ukrainians understand how Vladimir Putin thinks, how the Russians think, and they …

Nuclear Power

NEWS

Nuclear fleet maintained high performance in 2023

World Nuclear News

Global nuclear electricity generation increased in 2023, despite a 1 GWe drop in overall capacity, to 392 GWe, of operable nuclear power plants, …

IAEA releases 2023 nuclear power data : Energy & Environment

World Nuclear News

The International Atomic Energy Agency has released its annual nuclear power data publications – and says they paint a picture of a clean energy …

Preface to World Nuclear Performance Report 2024

World Nuclear Association

… nuclear power plants. The average capacity factor of nuclear reactors increased by 1%, reaching 81.5% in 2023, highlighting the reliability …

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

Sizewell C community events tackle climate emergency | East Anglian Daily Times

East Anglian Daily Times

The team at Sizewell C is raising awareness of the new nuclear power station and how it will combat climate change at community events across the…

Nuclear War

NEWS

China Responds to Top-Secret US Nuclear War Strategy – Newsweek

Newsweek

China’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday accused the United States of creating the largest nuclear threat.

Biden approved secret nuclear strategy focusing on Chinese threat, New York Times reports

Reuters

U.S. President Joe Biden approved in March a highly classified nuclear strategic plan that for the first time reoriented Washington’s deterrent …

Biden Approved Secret Nuclear Strategy Refocusing on Chinese Threat

The New York Times

In a classified document approved in March, the president ordered U.S. forces to prepare for possible coordinated nuclear confrontations with …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

Biden Approved Secret Nuclear Strategy Refocusing on Chinese Threat

The New York Times

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has repeatedly threatened the use of nuclear weapons against Ukraine, including during a crisis in October 2022, …

Biden approves nuclear strategy refocusing on China threat – report – The Guardian

The Guardian

… threatened to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine. The US-based Arms Control Association said it understood US nuclear weapons strategy and posture …

China ‘concerned’ after report alleging US nuclear strategy change – VOA

VOA

U.S. and Chinese officials both frequently speak of the dangers of nuclear war, but efforts to hold dialogue on the issue have failed. Last year, U.S. ..

Yellowstone Caldera

NEWS

Yellowstone Thermal Features, From Apollinaris To Zomar – National Parks Traveler

National Parks Traveler

Editor’s Note: Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory.

Traffic: The largest hydrothermal explosions the world has ever known | News | Head Topics

Head Topics

… yellowstone-national-park-after-massive-explosion&quot … Steam explosions are one of the biggest potential hazards at Yellowstone Caldera.